Subterranean equipment bay

Abstract

A subterranean equipment bay for housing telecommunications equipment comprising a vault having a floor, sidewalls, and a top cover, and having a shallow depth. The vault further includes means for ventilating the vault and means for removing water from the vault.

1. A subterranean equipment bay for housing telecommunication equipment components comprising:
 a vault having a base, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, where each of the sidewalls extend upwardly from the base which is to be positioned underground in a generally horizontal position so that the base and each of the sidewalls extending upwardly from the base contact subterranean earth; 
 a top cover positioned in a generally horizontal position that is above and generally coplanar with the base of the vault and providing an access into the vault; 
 an intake air port positioned in one of the sidewalls or the top cover of the vault and an air exhaust port positioned in one of the sidewalls or top cover of the vault; 
 an air intake fan associated with the intake air port; and 
 a water collection area for collecting any water that infiltrates the vault, and wherein a top sidewall channel is positioned on the top of each of the sidewalls to channel water. 
 
   
   
     2. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the vault has a depth of three feet or less. 
   
   
     3. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein a distance from an upper surface of the base to a bottom of the top cover is three feet or less. 
   
   
     4. The equipment bay of  claim 3 , where the distance is about 2 feet. 
   
   
     5. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the vault has external dimensions measuring about 3 feet deep, about 6.5 feet wide, and about 9.5 feet long. 
   
   
     6. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the vault has internal dimensions measuring about 2 feet in height, about 5 feet wide, and about 8 feet long. 
   
   
     7. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the water collection area comprises a sump pit. 
   
   
     8. The equipment bay of  claim 7 , wherein the water collection area further includes a sump pump for draining any collected water from the sump pit. 
   
   
     9. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the base of the vault is sloped towards the water collection area. 
   
   
     10. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewalls are between 6 and 9 inches thick. 
   
   
     11. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the base and sidewalls are comprised of precast concrete. 
   
   
     12. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the top cover includes a door providing access into the vault to a technician. 
   
   
     13. The equipment bay of  claim 12 , wherein the door is hingedly mounted to one of the sidewalls. 
   
   
     14. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the top cover includes a first door hingedly attached to the first sidewall and a second door hingedly attached to the sidewall opposite the first sidewall, said first and second doors providing access into the vault for a technician. 
   
   
     15. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the top cover includes a plurality of top cover channels located on a lower surface of the top cover to provide additional strength to the top cover. 
   
   
     16. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , further including a top sidewall channel drain that drains water from the top sidewall channel through a drain hole in the bottom of the sidewall channel. 
   
   
     17. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the air intake port is positioned on one of the sidewalls and communicates with an air intake duct that is vented aboveground. 
   
   
     18. The equipment bay of  claim 17 , wherein the air intake duct is vented to a standpipe. 
   
   
     19. The equipment bay of  claim 18 , wherein the standpipe is capped and has a series of radial throughholes to permit air to pass through the air intake duct to the air intake port. 
   
   
     20. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the air exhaust port is positioned on one of the sidewalls and communicates with an air exhaust duct that is vented aboveground. 
   
   
     21. The equipment bay of  claim 19 , wherein the exhaust duct is vented to a standpipe located aboveground and has a series of radial throughholes to permit air to pass from the air exhaust port through the air exhaust duct. 
   
   
     22. The equipment bay of  claim 21 , wherein the standpipe is capped and has a series of radial throughholes to permit air to pass from the air exhaust port through the air exhaust duct. 
   
   
     23. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , further including one or more telecommunication equipment supports positioned above the bottom floor adapted to elevate telecommunication equipment components above the floor. 
   
   
     24. The equipment bay of  claim 23 , further including a radio frequency unit positioned on the one or more telecommunication equipment supports. 
   
   
     25. The equipment bay of  claim 24 , wherein the radio frequency unit is positioned on its side in a horizontal position. 
   
   
     26. The equipment bay of  claim 25 , further including one or more fans positioned to provide air circulation across the radio frequency unit. 
   
   
     27. The equipment bay of  claim 23 , further including a baseband unit positioned on the one or more telecommunication equipment supports. 
   
   
     28. The equipment bay of  claim 27 , wherein the baseband unit is positioned on its side in horizontal position. 
   
   
     29. The equipment bay of  claim 28 , further including one or more fans positioned to provide air circulation across the baseband unit. 
   
   
     30. The equipment bay of  claim 23 , further including a grip plank positioned above the equipment supports. 
   
   
     31. The equipment bay of  claim 30 , further including a grip step positioned above the grip plank to facilitate entry and exit from the vault. 
   
   
     32. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the air circulation within the vault is 300 cubic feet per minute or more. 
   
   
     33. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the air exhaust is 65 cubic feet per minute or more. 
   
   
     34. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , further including one or more power line inlet ports positioned within one of the sidewalls to allow the routing of a power line into the equipment bay. 
   
   
     35. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , further including one or more exit ports to allow cabling from telecommunication equipment components to exit the vault. 
   
   
     36. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , where the one or more telecommunication equipment supports are positioned to elevate the telecommunication equipment components to between four and eight inches above the base. 
   
   
     37. The equipment bay of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between a top surface of the base and a bottom surface of the top cover is three feet or less. 
   
   
     38. The equipment bay of  claim 37 , where the distance is about 2 feet. 
   
   
     39. The equipment bay of  claim 38 , wherein the vault has internal dimensions measuring about 5 feet wide, and about 8 feet long. 
   
   
     40. A subterranean equipment bay for housing telecommunication equipment components comprising:
 a vault having a floor, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, where each of the sidewalls extend upwardly from the floor which is to be positioned underground in a generally horizontal position so that the floor and each of the sidewalls extending upwardly from the floor contact subterranean earth; 
 a top cover positioned in a generally horizontal position that is above and generally coplanar with the floor of the vault and providing an access into the vault; 
 means for ventilating the vault; and 
 means for removing water that infiltrates the vault from the vault and wherein a top sidewall channel is positioned on the top of each of the sidewalls to channel water. 
 
   
   
     41. The equipment bay of  claim 40 , further including means for elevating telecommunication equipment components no more than eight inches above the bottom floor. 
   
   
     42. The equipment bay of  claim 41 , further including a radio frequency unit positioned above the bottom floor in a horizontal position. 
   
   
     43. The equipment bay of  claim 42 , further including a baseband unit positioned above the bottom floor in a horizontal position. 
   
   
     44. The equipment bay of  claim 42 , further including a rectifier positioned above the bottom floor in a horizontal position. 
   
   
     45. The equipment bay of  claim 42 , further including means for circulating air over the radio frequency unit. 
   
   
     46. The equipment bay of  claim 45 , further wherein ventilation across the radio frequency unit is 100 cubic feet per minute or more. 
   
   
     47. The equipment bay of  claim 40 , wherein the means for ventilating provides circulation of 300 cubic feet per minute within the vault. 
   
   
     48. A wireless distributed base station comprising:
 a subterranean vault having a floor, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, where each of the sidewalls extend upwardly from the floor which is to be positioned underground in a generally horizontal position so that the floor and each of the sidewalls extending upwardly from the floor contact subterranean earth;
 a top cover positioned in a generally horizontal position that is above and generally coplanar with the floor of the vault and providing an access into the vault positioned opposite the floor; 
 means for ventilating the vault; 
 means for removing water that infiltrates the vault from the vault; 
 one or more telecommunication equipment supports positioned above the floor; 
 a radio frequency unit positioned within the vault on at least one of the supports in a horizontal orientation; 
 an antenna positioned nearby the vault for association with the radio frequency unit, and wherein a top sidewall channel is positioned on the top of each of the sidewalls to channel water. 
 
 
   
   
     49. The wireless base station of  claim 48 , further including a power supply line port in one of the sidewalls allowing the radio frequency unit to be electrically connected to a power source. 
   
   
     50. The wireless base station of  claim 48 , further including one or more exit ports positioned in one or more of the sidewalls to allow cabling to exit the vault. 
   
   
     51. The wireless base station of  claim 48 , further including a rectifier positioned within the vault on at least one of the supports. 
   
   
     52. The wireless base station of  claim 48 , further including a baseband unit positioned within the vault on at least one of the supports in a horizontal orientation. 
   
   
     53. The wireless base station of  claim 48 , wherein the vault has a depth of three feet or less. 
   
   
     54. The wireless base station of  claim 53 , wherein the vault has width of about 5 feet and a length of about 8 feet. 
   
   
     55. The wireless base station of  claim 53 , wherein the vault has an internal height of between two to four feet. 
   
   
     56. The wireless base station of  claim 55 , wherein the internal height is about two feet.